BAGUIO CITY (PIA) –The Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) is inviting permanent government employees who are interested in taking a two-year master degree program in Japan to apply for slots in the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) under the Japanese Grant Aid for Academic Year 2024-2025.
JICE orients employees from various government offices about JDS during a promotion seminar at the CSC-CAR on Friday, December 15, 2023.
JICE Project Office in the Philippines country officer Yuna Shimizu explained during the JDS promotion seminar at the Civil Service Commission-Cordillera (CSC-CAR) office in Baguio, that the JDS is implemented in the Philippines through JICE and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The JDS aims to support human resource development in the government sector and enhance bilateral relationships between the Philippines and Japan.
“JDS offers a full scholarship program funded by the government of Japan thru the ODA (Official Development Assistance). JDS provides a two-year masteral course in English at Japanese universities,” Shimizu shared.
Shimizu said an applicant must be a citizen of the Philippines; between 22 and 39 years old as of April 1, 2024; must be an employee of the Philippine government and not a member of the military; currently employed with permanent status and two years of work experience in duties particularly relevant to the selected component at the time of application; possesses a bachelor’s degree relevant to the target fields; has a performance rating of at least “very satisfactory” from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, and has not been awarded any other foreign scholarships for obtaining a master’s degree.
Interested applicants who are beyond 39 years of age may still apply as long as there is a strong recommendation from their supervisor, she said.
All selection costs will be covered by the JDS Project, including transportation and accommodation for candidates coming from provincial areas for the selection process.
Applicants will undergo an academic aptitude test, particularly English and math examinations. Their documents will be screened by each accepting university, especially their research plan, followed by a technical interview by the Japanese university.
JICE Project Office in the Philippines country officer Yuna Shimizu talks about the JDS during a promotion seminar at the CSC-CAR on Friday, December 15, 2023.
A comprehensive interview will then be led by the JDS Operating Committee members, where the applicants will be asked about their future contribution to the development of the country and in strengthening bilateral relations with Japan, among others.
A total of 20 fellows will be selected and will be dispatched in 2024. Benefits for JDS fellows include one round-trip airfare between the Philippines and Japan, monthly living allowance in Japan, full tuition fees of accepting universities, and other designated allowances.
Application is online, and the deadline of submission is on January 8, 2024. For more information, visit the JDS website or the JDS PH Facebook page.
CSC-CAR Regional Director Fernando Mendoza is encouraging eligible government employees to embrace the opportunity to contribute towards the progress of the country as a whole.
“You are the main target of the JDS. I know that you are young and capable and you are effective to engage in implementing social and economic development. Kayo ‘yung magiging future leader,” Mendoza said.
Meanwhile, Chrystal John Luego, an employee of MARINA Regional Office XIII in Surigao City and now a fellow at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, shared some tips on the application process and his life as a fellow in Japan.
He shared that the research plan must be four pages with a maximum title of 12 words. This includes the introduction containing the issue in the agency that the applicant aspires to address, including supporting quantitative data, and the methodology comprising the data sources and the method to be used in analyzing the data.
He added that in the conclusion, the applicant must identify the expected output and elaborate on the impact of the findings in solving the developmental issue identified. The last part, which is the bibliography, must include the sources of data.
For the examinations, Luego shared that math exams include basic and applied math while the English exams include vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension, and structure and written expression.
At least 439 Filipinos from different government agencies in the country were already dispatched to various prestigious Japanese universities since the JDS was established in the Philippines in 2002. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)
